The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-09-26
FROM TURTLES BACKS.
THE REVIVAL OF THE BIG TOR
TOISE SHELL COMB.


Is Becoming Popular with Modern
Bellies How the Combs are Manufac:-
urcd-Tortoisc Shell Cap Forepiecc@
1.-THE fashion for tortoise shell combs Is
returning" said u large uptown retailer
to reporter "Somo five years agO
combs were considered out OF fashion, and
nobody used them except ladies OF the old
school, and then the combs were very
small. But the style has been growing In
favor, and should not be surprised TO SEQ
IN few years the enormous comb OF our
usrandmothcrs worn again"
"Does the Syle of the comb originate
here, or is II imported from Paris, with
the rest of woman's headgeary" asked
the reporter.
ooh, no; buy my goods from manu-
facturer in the city who has been in tho
trade for number Of years. The French
combs do not take here, and Mt the Same
time the designs are so elaborate that they
cost with the duties, too much for the
average purchaser.
On the second floor Of an old fashioned
building the reporter found the largest
tortoise shell comb manufacturer In tho
city. He said: 'Tortoise shell comes
chiefly from Central America and tho
West India islands. The natives trade
the shell for provisions and clothing, and
down there 1t is as good as silver"
"Are the shells brought here wholef"
asked the reporter.
ooh, no. When the natives catch the
tortoise they kill him and expose the shell
to the fire, which loosens the pilates, and
then they are easily pulled apart. There
are thirteen plates on the back OF the tor
toise and thirteen on the stomach. The
stomach plates are what we call amber
shell, and are worth more than the rest,
for when they arc polished they are al
most as light as genuine amber"
Near the door sat white haired old
Frenchman scraping and cutting some
shells which u lad took up and bound to-
gether with thread. A comb has to DO
several shells thick. After the shells are
cut out In the & neral shape of the design
wanted, they are wrapped In several Thick
\ nesses Of wet cotton cloth and placed be-
tween two heavy heated irons In u press,
which Is screwed down. Left there for
half an hour, the steam Yields them to-
gether nicely, and when taken out they go
TO the designer, who pastes paper pat
tern on the shell, so that all the delicate
locks like nh ordinary scroll saw. They
are then sent to another room, where the
rough edges are cut off with circular
saws about as large as the end Of lead
pencil.
After going through several processes
the comb arrives at the last stage, the
polishing room. There are number OF
wheels of different sizes, some thicker
than others, revolving at a rapid rate.
The proprietor explained: 'These wheels
are composed of many layers of muslin
cloth, and the heat generated through
friction removes all roughness and puts on
q beautiful polish, which lasts as long as
the comb"
''Do you make any Of those very large
combs, like that specimen in the caseg"
The manufacturer picked up the comb,
which measured fifteen inches wide and
eight inches high, beautifully carved, and
replied: "That comb was sent here from
Brazil by lady Of Dom PedrOs court.
mended it, but 1t has never been called
for, and am not sorry, for 1t is curio q
ity in this country. We do not mako any
AXE it. / have some pretty large ones,
/however, for the ladies of Havana still
cling to the antique style. Tortoise shell
is used for various purposes Here, for
instance, are q lot of cap fore pieces for
the officers Of the Spanish navy. Each
peak weighs just one-hah an ounce. u
New York Evening Sun.